Gitaxian Anatomist is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
When this creature enters, you may tap it. If you do, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Complete guide
Gitaxian Anatomist is a versatile Phyrexian Wizard that offers a unique choice upon entering the battlefield. By opting to tap itself, it allows you to accelerate your board state through the proliferate mechanic, reinforcing existing counters on players and permanents alike.
Understanding the Entry Trigger
When Gitaxian Anatomist enters the battlefield, its triggered ability goes on the stack. You do not decide whether to tap it until the ability actually resolves. If you choose to tap it, you immediately proceed to proliferate. Note that if the Anatomist is already tapped or leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves, you can still 'tap' it in spirit to trigger the proliferation, provided it was still on the battlefield at the moment of resolution.
The Proliferation Process
Proliferating involves choosing any number of players and/or permanents on the battlefield that already have at least one counter. For each chosen subject, you add one additional counter of every kind already present. You cannot pick and choose which specific counters to add if a permanent has multiple types; it is all or nothing for that specific permanent. You also cannot affect cards in zones other than the battlefield, such as those in exile or the graveyard.
Strategic Timing and Interactions
Because the choice to tap and proliferate happens during the resolution of the ability, your opponents must decide to respond before they know exactly which permanents you will choose to bolster. Once you begin choosing targets for proliferation, the process cannot be interrupted. It is also important to remember that if a permanent has both +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters, they cancel each other out as a state-based action before you get a chance to proliferate them.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Phyrexian' or 'Wizard', Gitaxian Anatomist's enters-the-battlefield ability triggers twice. You can choose to tap the Anatomist for the first trigger to proliferate, and even though it is already tapped, the second trigger still allows you to choose to 'tap' it again to proliferate a second time.
Solemn SimulacrumIf you have a Solemn Simulacrum that has somehow gained a +1/+1 counter, playing Gitaxian Anatomist allows you to tap the Anatomist to add a second +1/+1 counter to the Golem. This doesn't interact with the Simulacrum's land-searching ability, but it demonstrates how the Anatomist can strengthen any creature you control that already possesses counters.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Gitaxian Anatomist
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
To proliferate, you can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can choose any player who has a counter, including opponents. You can't choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You don't have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since "any number" includes zero, you don't have to choose any permanents at all, and you don't have to choose any players at all.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a player or permanent has more than one kind of counter on it, and you choose for it to get additional counters, it must get one of each kind of counter it already has. You can't have it get just one kind of counter it already has and not the others.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers "Whenever you proliferate" triggers even if you chose no permanents or players while doing so.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Players can respond to a spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it's too late for anyone to respond.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If a permanent ever has both +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters on it at the same time, they're removed in pairs as a state-based action so that the permanent has only one of those kinds of counters on it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Myojin of Cryptic Dreams + Gitaxian Anatomist
- 1Cast Gitaxian Anatomist by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, activate Myojin by removing an indestructible counter from it, copying the Gitaxian Anatomist spell three times.
- 3Resolve the first Gitaxian Anatomist spell.
- 4When the Gitaxian Anatomist token enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to tap it and put an indestructible counter on Myojin.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Myojin of Life's Web + Cloudstone Curio + Gitaxian Anatomist
- 1Activate Myojin of Life's Web by removing a divinity counter from it, putting Gitaxian Anatomist and another nonartifact creature from your hand onto the battlefield.
- 2When Gitaxian Anatomist and the additional creature enter the battlefield, Bloom Hulk triggers once and Cloudstone Curio triggers twice.
- 3Resolve the Gitaxian Anatomist trigger, putting a divinity counter on Myojin of Life's Web.
- 4Resolve both Cloudstone Curio triggers, returning Gitaxian Anatomist and the additional creature to your hand from the battlefield.
- 5Repeat.
Legal formats
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